Contents

About the course

Our PGCE takes 36 weeks to complete. This school-led course includes a one-week induction to prepare you for your placement and weekly sessions to develop your knowledge of the curriculum.

We focus on school student learning right from the start of the PGCE and this encourages our trainees to develop very quickly as teachers. You will be well supported by subject experts in both school and University and welcomed into a warm and friendly PGCE team who will challenge you to become the best teacher that you can be. All academic assignments focused around pupil progress and your classroom practice. On successful completion, you will receive 60 Masters level credits with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which is governed by DfE regulations.

You will be very well supported during your time on the course and will benefit from a designated subject mentor in school who will hold weekly meetings with you, help you teach and review lessons, develop your subject knowledge and set and monitor agreed targets.

In addition, you will have a University Tutor who will oversee your overall development as a teacher. Improvement Planning sessions in the University will take place to support you throughout the year with your University Tutor.

As a trainee, you will be given a phased introduction to teaching that will reflect your personal needs. You will normally begin by observing the regular class teacher, helping with group work and then moving towards sharing classes with the teacher before eventually taking classes yourself. As well as teaching, you will be expected to contribute generally to the life of the school.

The blend of practical experience and University study gained during your course will be assessed through the compilation of portfolios of evidence and the production of short written academic papers.

To see posts about activities that we run during the PGCE course and for details of our upcoming events and open days please visit the Staffordshire University website or our PGCE Facebook page.

Interview process

Following an initial screening to ensure your application meets our entry requirements, applications will be submitted to the Subject staff for review. Successful applicants at this stage will be offered an interview.

The main purposes of the interview are to:

• Allow you to understand as fully as possible the nature of the course, the teaching profession and your commitments to it

• Begin to explore your subject strengths and areas for development

• Assess your ability to communicate effectively in spoken and written English

• Answer any questions you may have

Whilst school experience is not a requirement for being invited to interview, successful candidates will be able to demonstrate during their interview that they have a good understanding of student learning and progress. Applicants may wish to draw upon experiences from their own education or paid or voluntary work in schools or with school-age children to show evidence of their understanding.

Each subject area will require applicants to teach a lesson/activity based upon a specific topic or a topic of the applicant’s choosing. Further information about the topic will be disclosed to applicants via an invitation to an interview.

Applicants will participate in a group discussion based on factors that impact learning in the classroom, and for specific subjects will be required to complete a subject knowledge audit form, before completing a face-to-face interview with an interview panel.

How school placements work

The quality of our relationships with our schools and colleges is extremely high and is based on a shared vision of teaching and a genuine partnership. We know our partnership schools very well and they know us. This means that we can match your development needs with your school placements.

We have a wide outreach into some 50 plus high performing schools within the local area and in Birmingham, the Black Country, Shropshire, Manchester, Derbyshire and beyond.

To give you experience in the classroom, you’ll spend at least 120 days working in two local secondary schools as well as visiting a local primary school. Our school led programme provides support at the university whilst also challenging your thinking about learning and teaching.

Each of your two main placement schools will also have a professional mentor who will provide an introduction to the organisation of the school, the school curriculum, pastoral care, personal and social education, active tutorial work, student behaviour and the legal and social framework of the school.

Fees

The course fees for 2019/2020 are as follows:

Student type

Fees to pay

UK students

£9,250

EU students

£9,250

Financial support

You could be eligible for either:

a scholarship of £28,000

a bursary of £26,000

To qualify for a scholarship you’ll need a degree of 2:1 or above in Computing or a related subject. For a bursary you’ll need a 2:2 or above in any subject.

You can’t claim both a bursary and a scholarship - you can only claim one.

Financial support from the training provider

You may be eligible for financial support while you study, including bursaries, scholarships and loans.

Financial support if you’re from outside of the UK.

Requirements

Qualifications

Degree: 2:2 or above honours degree in an appropriate subject area.

If you do not hold a subject-related degree, you can still be considered if you hold a relevant A Level or equivalent. Please contact us prior to submitting your application if you require further guidance.

GCSEs: Grade 4 or grade C at GCSE or equivalent in English Language and Mathematics is essential for all applicants before starting the course. We do not accept Adult Numeracy or Literacy, Key Skills or any other GCSE alternatives.

Applicants with international qualifications will be considered if their qualifications are recognised as equivalent.

Personal qualities

We are looking for enthusiastic, professionally restless individuals for whom teaching will always be a voyage of discovery. You should have:

• The desire and ability to impact on student learning and to see issues from students' points of view

• High level communication skills, empathy and persistent optimism

• Potential for critical reflection, independent learning and taking initiative for personal and professional development

• The ability to work effectively in a team and to lead

• Creativity, innovation and understanding of when to take risks

• Resilience to accept and learn from professional criticism

• Self-confidence balanced with humility

Other requirements

Whilst school experience is not required for entry, successful applicants will demonstrate a good understanding of student learning and progress.

Successful applicants will also be required to:

• Pass QTS Professional Skills Tests in both Numeracy and Literacy

• Complete a Medical Questionnaire, which will be assessed by an Occupational Therapist

• Provide an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (application can be obtained through the University)

About the training provider

The City Learning Trust is a Multi Academy Trust founded in 2014. The CLT has five academies in membership covering approximately three thousand students aged three to nineteen. Our academies include Haywood Academy, Haywood Sixth Form Academy, Mill Hill Primary, Smallthorne Primary Academy and Trentham Academy.

We offer a variety of secondary school direct subject places with Staffordshire University, Manchester Metropolitan University and the West Midlands Consortium. Subjects include: English, Mathematics, Science, Modern Foreign Languages, Psychology, Religious Studies, Art and Design, Business Studies, Computing, Geography, Physical Education and Dance. In addition, we have numerous primary places with North Staffordshire Teacher Education.

We provide high quality training that ensures trainees are fully prepared for life in the classroom and a career in education. Working closely with the partner universities, we ensure that our Schools Direct colleagues gain their teaching qualification (QTS) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). If you choose to apply to the CLT and are successful, you are guaranteed placements at academies within our Multi Academy Trust.

It is a privilege for us to be working in a diverse region with exceptional teachers. We respect the cultures and backgrounds of the young people in our settings, and we enable you to take seriously, issues of equality and social justice. In particular, we value the transformative role that a high quality educational experience has in enabling young people to become informed, empowered and engaged.